Jack-o’-lanterns are a signature symbol of spooky season, but they can have haunting environmental impacts if they're tossed in the trash.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates more than a billion pounds of pumpkins end up in the landfill after Halloween every year, where they produce climate-warming methane gas.
For an eco-friendly alternative, Hamilton County’s waste reduction agency is encouraging people to compost their fall waste. Outreach Specialist Elise Erhart shares these tips.
Find a pumpkin chuck
Send your pumpkin flying through the sky at a pumpkin chuck event in Greater Cincinnati. Many leave the gourd remains for wildlife to enjoy and naturally compost.
Oh My Gourd! hosted by MetroParks of Butler County: Nov. 7 from 1-3 p.m. at Meadow Ridge MetroPark, 5101 Circle Parkway, Middletown, OH 45042
20th Annual Pumpkin Chuck Festival hosted by Mt Washington Community Council: Nov. 7 from noon-5 p.m. at Stanberry Park, 2221 Oxford Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45230
Pumpkin Smash 2026 hosted by Liberty Center: Nov. 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Liberty Center, 7100 Foundry Row, Liberty Township OH 45069
Build a backyard compost pile
Erhart says if you have a backyard, you can easily make a compost pile and add your old pumpkins to it. She recommends layering food scraps with dry materials like leaves and wood chips directly on top of soil.
“Just layer it like lasagna and keep going,” Erhart says. “With that process, things will slowly break down because the worms and other little critters will come up out of the soil from that ground and they'll break [the pile] down... and all those nutrients get recycled back into the soil.”
Breaking up or smashing pumpkins before adding them to a compost pile can help them decompose faster.
If you want to learn more about composting in cold weather, Hamilton County Resource is hosting a free seminar on Nov. 10 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the Miami Township Library & Senior Center in Milford.
Find a drop-off site
No backyard? No problem.
Erhart says local composting businesses like Queen City Commons offer paid services where you can sign up to drop off your food scraps at designated locations. Some drop-off sites within the city of Cincinnati offer a free three-month trial.
Erhart also says some communities have their own, free drop-off sites. Colerain residents can pick up a free composting bucket and empty it any time at the composting station behind the Colerain Township Senior Center. Wyoming residents can access composting bins in Oak Park at any time.
Reduce consumption
Erhart says composting should be the last option for keeping waste out of the landfill. She recommends following the three R’s in order: reduce, reuse, then recycle.
“Reduce first. We’re going to buy less. We’re going to try to use less,” Erhart said. “Then what we have, we’re going to use it up to the best of our abilities. Then we’re going to donate it to somebody who might need it or animals that can use it. Then we're going to recycle it back into the soil through composting.”
Leave your leaves
While you’re doing fall cleanup, Erhart suggests leaving the leaves to help pollinators.
“Bugs need somewhere to stay warm and safe during the winter time too,” she told WVXU. “All the leaves on the ground help them shelter. So, if you like butterflies, if you like moths and pollinators in the springtime — we really need all those. A good way to help take care of them is giving them the shelter and leaving your leaves through the winter.”
You don't have to keep the leaves exactly where they fall. You can rake them into garden beds, around tree bases, or into other designated areas.
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